Casa Grande has pair of prizes

HIGH SCHOOLS

Updated 11:46 pm, Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Elijah Qualls' climb up the football recruiting ranks is truly meteoric considering where he was 16 months ago.

He considered quitting school and thought his fate was jail or some place worse. He saw one of his best friends die in the street and was on a first-name basis with the police. His grade-point average hovered around 1.5.

Then his family moved from a rough Sacramento neighborhood to Petaluma, known for its wine, chickens, cows and arm wrestling.

He found a second family with Trent Herzog and his Casa Grande football program, followed his football passion and got his grades in order.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound fullback and defensive lineman is ranked the No. 5 athlete in the nation by MaxPreps.com and the No. 32 recruit overall in California by Rivals.com.

With more than 30 offers, he picked Washington in July. Life now is tranquil and solid and moving in a positive direction. He just upped his GPA to above 3.0.

"I wasn't going anywhere but trouble," Qualls said. "I always wanted to accomplish great things. I wanted to go the right direction, but I didn't quite have the support. Not the support I've found here."

Said Herzog: "We provided the structure and framework. He provided the hard work and natural talent. Plus, he then had to make the right decisions."

He'll be a defensive end or tackle in college, but he's the Gauchos' primary ball carrier. In five games, he has been used sparingly with 359 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He'll carry the load more as the season progresses and weather gets soggier.

"He'll do and play wherever we need him," Herzog said. "He'll gladly play on the (offensive) line if we need him there."

Qualls plans to take other recruiting trips even though his commitment to Washington is firm. Other than a visit to Washington on Oct. 13, he plans no trips until after the season, although Arizona, Miami, Cal, Nebraska and Washington State continue to pursue him.

Casa Grande (4-1), ranked 25th by The Chronicle, should make a serious run at a North Coast Section Division II title.

Thanks, cuz: Though Qualls is considered the Redwood Empire's top football recruit in three decades, Herzog thinks he'll be surpassed by his own cousin, Casa Grande dual-threat quarterback JaJuan Lawson.

The 6-1, 190-pound junior has 10.8-second speed in the 100 meters and 4.47 in the 40. "His arm is equal to his legs," Herzog said.

Lawson has accounted for 1,420 yards and 15 touchdowns this season for the Gauchos after accounting for 2,730 and 31 as a sophomore. Herzog said Lawson receives 20 to 30 letters a day and has received offers from Iowa State, Nevada, UNLV and Arizona.

Updated rankings: Rivals has updated its California Top 100 recruits for the class of 2013, and Metro players listed are De La Salle-Concord linebackers Michael Hutchings (No. 6) and Victor Egu (76) and defensive end Austin Hooper (43), Marin Catholic-Kentfield quarterback Jared Goff (16), Milpitas defensive end Vita Vea (29), and Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland defensive back Kevin King (65). Goff and King are committed to Cal, and Hutchings to USC.